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The New Neo Posted on by

(1) Kevin McCarthy is leaving the House at the end of 2023. Unsurprising, but not laudable. There will be a special election, and his district is very red. Who might replace him?

(2) Liz Cheney is thinking of a third-party presidential run. She hasn’t a chance to be anything but a spoiler, but whose candidacy she would most spoil isn’t quite clear. The author of the article I just linked seems to think she would hurt Biden and help Trump, which is surely not her intent.

(3) Did you know there was a Republican debate last night? I ignored it. But apparently Vivek took on Christie and Haley. By the way, why is Christie still there?:

“Your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York,” Ramaswamy said. “So do everybody a favor, just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race.”

And Vivek’s version of foreign policy experience is – what?

(4) White House interns aren’t very impressive these days. They’re mad at Biden because he’s not demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. They also seem to think Israel is committing genocide. The leftist brainwashing is apparently quite complete with this group.

(5) Republicans block Ukraine and Israel aid unless there is money allocated for better border control.

Comments

Roundup — 68 Comments

  1. No 4 – Fire them (but it won’t happen)
    N0 3 – Vivek – don’t like him. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, and doesn’t care
    No 5 – In a way this is the old Isolationist Republican Party. Don’t get me wrong, we need to close the border but I don’t think they really see the importance of Ukraine. It supplies a large amount of the grain needed in Africa and ME, has a lot of high tech that Putin would like to have, and would embolden Putin even more. Plus they are not the aggressors here.

  2. 1.) It’s a little worrying that there will be a period between McCarthy’s leaving and the special election where the House majority will be reduced to just 1 seat. I’m not a big fan of McCarthy (and I’m certainly not one of Santos) but I’m not exactly thrilled with how things are at the moment.

    2.) Liz Cheney is entirely delusional and entirely irrelevant.

    3.) Chris Christie is entirely delusional and entirely irrelevant.

    4.) So peopling White House intern positions with deeply ignorant, vapid, indolent youth who have been maleducated in the hate filled cesspits of our so called “higher education” system has turned out exactly how one might expect. The progressives have been sowing wind on this point for years. Break out the popcord I guess?

    5.) I’m not exactly thrilled about this. But we haven’t seen any real progress in Ukraine at all since the counteroffensive started, with many saying it’s at a stalemate and it’s starting to seem like a money pit. I’m all for supporting Israel and of course securing the boarder though, I’m just not convinced that this is the best way to go about either.

  4. I assume this is still true, but back in my college days, White House Interns were all kids of donors.

    On the one hand: Who gives a rat’s a** what they think?
    On the other hand: To what degree do those idiots reflect their parents with deep pockets? (Back in my college days, I certainly was no reflection of my parents’ points of view. )

    What is WRONG with these Republicans? Have they NEVER heard of the idea of the long game? You don’t just do stuff because you FEEL like doing it — you consider how it will affect other things. What will the ripple effects be? While not a fan of Santos, do you think if the shoe were on the other foot: A Democrat who did what he did, from a state with a Republican governor, in a district that could go either way?

  5. Someone Else – If Santos were a Democrat instead of a Republican, we never would have heard one peep about his various misdeeds.

  6. Regarding Ukraine and the border; if this is what it takes to get a border reestablished between the US and Mexico it us worth it,
    assuming the American isolationists go back to their historically ignorant, but irrelevant rants.

    Regarding the unrealized great expectations of the Ukrainian counteroffensives, unitary warhead ATACMS are needed, as are delivery of pledged 155 mm rounds, GLSDBs, and the F16s. Russia won’t stop with just Ukraine.

  7. I share Nonapod’s qualms about the Republican majority. McCarthy is resigning after the deadline for candidate filing, so, according to the article, Newsom has the “option” of calling a special election to fill the seat, or letting it ride and stay empty for a while. Not good.

  8. Other commentators are impressed, to some extent at least, with Christie’s debate performances. I can’t think of anyone, other than Christie, who wants him as President; but, he does add some ‘spice’ to the otherwise rather dreary proceedings.

    The account I read indicated that McCarthy would not seek re-election, so I don’t understand the angst. Maybe sloppy reporting has created confusion. Surprise.

    I can’t bear to watch Vivek, and can’t imagine that he is doing himself any favors with regard to his real life; although I read one woman’s analysis that declared him to be the clear winner. Go figure.

    Liz Cheney may need a mental health intervention. She certainly appears to be delusional

    Finally, I presume that the aid packages will be passed; but I applaud the effort to force the President (in name) to acknowledge our border travesties. I do not limit my concern to the southern border–as I no longer think we have friends on either side of us.

  9. }}} And Vivek’s version of foreign policy experience is – what?

    Vivek is an attack dog in the Trump mold. He’s aiming to be the veep, not the PotUS, which will give him time to become more experienced at FP, and whatever else is needed, ofr a serious PotUS run in 4 or 8y.

    Trump will like him because he’s confrontational, and obviously Trump likes that.

    Desantis should like him because he can be the gadfly he needs on the topics he wants, which Desantis can’t trust Trump to do, assuming Trump somehow doesn’t get the nom.

    That is, I strongly suspect, what is going on, here. What Vivek knows, or doesn’t know, at this point is largely irrelevant, as he’s got zero chance of getting the PostUS slot, and he knows it, because he lacks the experience needed.

    But he sees what people respect Trump for, and is positioning himself for that role.

    US$0.02 <—– Mine and worth every penny 😀

    }}} (4) White House interns aren’t very impressive these days.

    Was it here, or somewhere else, I saw something discussing how the PolySci department of GWU or somewhere in that area — which happened to be where many of the DC interns came from — was a Marxist hotbed of Pro-Palestinian parrots?

    Wherever it was, it’s the case… Hence, is this any surprise, really?

  10. I’d have more good wishes for McCarthy if it did not appear as if solipsism or spite were motivating him. Ditto Mitt Romney.
    ==
    It’s funny about Liz Cheney. She’s been married for about thirty years and has five children. Up until age 47, she did not give evidence to the public that she suffered obtrusive character defects. The last 10 years, she’s behaved like an elite bubble-dweller with scant conception of what an ass she’s making out of herself. I wonder if she embarrasses her mother.

  11. About the interns, it’s another piece of evidence in the file making the case that the Democratic Party is a collecting pool of the worst of the younger generation. Another collecting pool is what’s left of the media. A third is faculties at all levels. And, of course, the HR department in any substantial employer.

  12. I find Christie to be a highly irksome distraction, but I also suspect that he is serving some intended function.

    My guess is that the east coast country-club GOP is promoting Nikki Haley for their actual desired candidate. Someone who will tick the “attractive woman” check box, and be relatively compliant to their wishes when in office.

    But Trump is too strong, so they need an aggressive negative campaign to bring him down without dirtying Nikki’s hands. Enter Christie.

  13. Someone Else – If Santos were a Democrat instead of a Republican, we never would have heard one peep about his various misdeeds.
    ==
    We might have heard about them, but there would have been no expulsion.

  14. Rep. Gaetz’s goal was to get McCarthy out of the House so it’s all going according to the Blue Balls plan. Unintended consequences? Who cares, animus and ambitions must be followed.

  15. I don’t know about Santos. Strange dude.
    One might assume he was actually a Democratic Party operative; a Democratic Party plant…. (Who was behind his campaign, anyway??)

    But as talented and imaginative a free-style liar as Santos is, he doesn’t come close to the Confabulator In Chief or any of the CIC’s fellow perverse prevaricators in this most dishonest, most corrupt, most pathological administration in the history of the Republic.

    File under: And so…just another “weapon of mass distraction”…

  16. Mccarthy had eight months to do something he allowed this sham maskirovna to take hold

    Then again the eight possums who failed to impeach mayorkas

  17. I have been reading that Hamas are surrendering to the Israelis, groups of them. Hope it is true.

  18. Oldflyer: “The account I read indicated that McCarthy would not seek re-election, so I don’t understand the angst.” WSJ and numerous other sites report that McCarthy has announced he will leave Congress by the end of this year.

  19. Cheney’s a nasty, small-minded, moral pipsqueak.
    Christie’s there only to provide some ballast.

    (What’s known in politics as “a balanced ticket”.)

  21. The first flag on liz was her performance as head of the near east desk, where suleimani ended up the kingmaker on iraq

  22. Kilgore is the one eyed chimp in the house that felker built but that doesnt say much

  24. You know when you have a gang of terrorist enablers in the house botox and onlyfans doesnt really stack up

  28. I saw all the candidates in 2016 and 2020. Vivek is, hands down, the best candidate I have ever seen.

    Going to see him for the fourth time on Saturday.

  29. These interns were drawn from the talent pool preferring diversity over skills

    Look at jen psaki and sigh

  30. DNA testing for every captured Hamashite, if there are any matches to DNA from the 10/7/2023 massacre sites, or to massacre victims. Execution.

  33. Being a former Californian and knowing the Bakersfield area pretty well, McCarthy is typical of GOP politicians in the area: even though his constituents hate what immigration has done to their area, big ag has a lot of weight to throw around, and they do. McCarthy is a squish on the border when it really counts. This is not unlike Idaho’s congressional delegation, who IIRC all have a grade of C or lower from Numbers USA.

  34. Not sure you can execute ’em, not in their underwear, at least.
    (Not even ISIS executed people in their underwear.)

    And Guterres would go ballistic…while reGRETAyet? would shout “How Dare You” from the rooftops of the UN.
    Besides, initial reports filtering out following this most recent development seem to indicate that these fierce WeLoveDeath-niks have all been given scholarships to Ivy League schools, purportedly in the interest of “human rights” and to “preserve innocent lives”…
    Reports say that Israel hasn’t rejected this option out of hand; but it insists that Hamas MUST first release ALL the hostages as an absolute precondition—AND THIS might be the deal breaker—that all the prospective underwear-clad students MUST major in Library Sciences…
    …all of which will no doubt provoke Gutteres to new heights of sheer hysteria and acrimony…so that he will feel compelled to join reGreta on the rooftop to accuse Israel of war crimes never before seen on planet earth and disproportionate cruelty to prisoners of war….

    As they say, “Developing”…

  36. McCarthy’s leaving in the middle of his term was petty, spiteful, and childish, but the House Republicans have been such a clown show lately that this fits the general pattern.

    The debates are also a clown show. They more or less have been since the first televised debates, but today’s politicians can’t even manage to maintain even a thin veneer of gravitas over their antics.

    Liz Cheney radiates negative energy. It’s painful to watch her. It’s similar with Kinzinger. She’ll have plenty of options in the DC area (her hometown), so it’s unlikely she’ll start a presidential campaign (which could only benefit Trump). Putting the rumor out there that she would run is just a way of getting more visibility, more gigs, and more loot.

  39. 1) A high paying lobbying position awaits.
    2) Six figure remuneration is Chaney’s sole motivation.
    3) Re: Vivek; O’BloodyHell has the ‘right of it’.
    4) Never take seriously, unserious people.
    5) “It’s the ol’ Potomac two-step, Jack.”

  40. no neither really serves any good function one tell tale image about kinzinger is when he took a picture along side the Storm Kataib (battalion) the ones who sold a hostage to Islamic State, Sotloff I think, and this so called emirate is what gaza looks like,

    as peter navarro noted, this congress has been pitifully weak on the question of lawfare, being waged against everyone to the right of arlen specter,

  41. look at john boehner (orange crush) lobbying for lethe distribution (pot legalization) or eric cantor in banking, or whatever black arts paul ryan is into, (nothing out of the hogwarts handbook)

  42. Many comments here re Vivek sound frightening like those from the crowd who violently dislike the “bad orange man”… You know the type, they have “Hate has no home here” signs in the front yard.

  44. My sister in law is death on Vivek, saying he keeps his finger in the wind to say what’s popular at the moment. But if one goes back 2 or more years, he’s flip-flopped on so many issues. I’ve not deeply investigated but believe she has a point. I’d much rather see Tucker be VP than Vivek.

  45. I’ll have you know, Kate, that we Hawkeyes not only have cauci, but butter cows and now butter Caitlin Clark, you C?

  46. Do you people have no sense of humor? Can you not look at Vivek’s performance for what it is, viz., a stand-up routine in which he is dealing out bombshell put-downs to the hecklers who somehow managed to get up on the stage with him? What he said to Christie was pure gold! And when he held up that handwritten sign equating Haley with corruption, the Angels in Heaven laughed. Or so I think.

  47. Barry Meislin:

    Different Centurian, skit involved “Pontius Pilate” who had a speech impediment IIRC.

  50. If boeing were not wrapped up in the dragons tail i would agree, (btw you think the dems would try to tie her to that whole series of crashes some years back)

  51. Why is it left for vivek to point out the utter travesty of january 6th everyones basenghi.

  52. Kevin McCarthy is pulling a Paul Ryano. I’ll bet that there are a couple more longtime Members who suddenly retire and deny the Socialist Party the majority. Just like Ryano and others did in 2018 to screw Trump.

  53. Thank you Kate. We just have to be careful about fake news so I was not sure it was true.
    A truly wonderful sight.

  54. I would like to know more about the deadline for new candidates filing in a special election, the one that McCarthy went past before declaring his retirement. It has the appearance of spitefulness, placing the margin of Republican majority in the hands of Gavin Newsom. Is that the general consensus? It would be hard to imagine any California Republican donor buying into that mentality for any kind of future endorsement.

  55. Looks like the Democrats aren’t going to wait to replace Biden on the ticket next year- they are going to force him to withdraw from the race before the end of this year. That is the purpose of the Hunter Biden indictments handed down this evening.

  56. The White House intern gambit is to win over the stupid young voters. Policy-wise, it was a meaningless announcement. But politically, it is an analog to the student loan forgiveness plot but better, since Biden has to do nothing and deliver nothing.

    Agree that Vivek is making a show of confrontation although that seems to be his true personality anyway. Even if not on the ballot, he will bring in motivated voters for the Republican ticket, overall.

    Make him ambassador to the UN? Wasn’t that where Nikki Haley first drew attention?

  60. “I’m not exactly thrilled about this. But we haven’t seen any real progress in Ukraine at all since the counteroffensive started, with many saying it’s at a stalemate and it’s starting to seem like a money pit.”

    Well, if that opinion prevails then;
    a) international law means diddly-squad.
    b) the UN charter means nothing
    c) and morally speaking you are in the same class as those who were pre WW2 appeasers or even worse (are Ukrainians ‘untermenschen’ for ruSSia to dispose off?)
    Ukraine was always the underdog but I thought that the way Ukraine is defending itself together with international support, military and politically, would ultimately defeat fuhrer Putin. Instead you are becoming worse then under ‘Obama the Flexible’. Perhaps Chamberlain shouldn’t have declared war and should just have said ‘not my problem’.
    Btw, about that ‘wall’? The Republican Party could have gotten that wall in 2017 when they had the presidency, the House and the Senate which makes the reason of blocking the aid all the more risible.

  61. Re: Ukraine

    @Nonapod

    5.) I’m not exactly thrilled about this. But we haven’t seen any real progress in Ukraine at all since the counteroffensive started, with many saying it’s at a stalemate and it’s starting to seem like a money pit. I’m all for supporting Israel and of course securing the boarder though, I’m just not convinced that this is the best way to go about either.

    I wouldn’t say we have seen no real progress. I agree progress has been underwhelming, but it has been real. The first Russian defensive line in the South was overrun and the second has some fairly large holes in it, with Ukrainian loyalists on the other bank of the Dnieper.

    The costs have been heavy and it is slow going, but that is a fairly significant series of advances. And even moreso when you realize there are more offensive and spoiling operations going on elsewhere, and when you compare it to things like the Russian Avdivka Offensive and the ultimately self-destructive obsession with Bakhmut.

    This also overlooks the advances on sea and air, which sounds absurd or self contradictory but the Ukrainians have helped chase the Russian Air Force and particularly the Russian navy back from much of the battlespace they held. That’s particularly evident in the Black Sea, where the Russians have essentially abandoned naval attempts to interdict shipping because they’d get hit if they popped out Westwards.

    It certainly is a money pit and I’d be the first to admit that in spite of being one of the resident Neocon Hawks in general, and it certainly is a punctuated stalemate. I just personally believe that it is one of the less counterproductive money pits we have on hand. The question is in my opinion balancing the costs of that and our own interests especially at home. I’d have preferred it to have happened in other ways and I can already hear the DNC spinning up, but if this can even somewhat help secure the border I will go with it as a grudging lesser evil.

    That said I largely agree with SHIREHOME. Isolationism has always been contextual at best and US history was less conductive to it than our mythologies pretend, and it is certainly not likely to work well now, as Afghanistan can attest. A limited withdrawal and clearing up at home is probably necessary for our national salvation, but that also means we need to keep our enemies tied up as best as we can.

  62. Steve (retired/recovering lawyer) – The problem is that presidential debates should be about picking a president, not building an entertaining stand-up routine.

    Seeing some of the defenses of Vivek here makes me just shake my head about what has become of the American right. It’s as though the sheer volume of criticism against a candidate becomes a shield – creating an incentive for certain candidates to double down on the inane and ridiculous. The more criticism a candidate receives for outrageous behavior, the more they and their supporters can shrug it off as mental illness on behalf of the critics, such as TDS! or OMB! (Claiming that your opponents must be suffering from mental illness is straight out of the left’s playbook, by the way.)

    I certainly get it that a lot of the criticism and most of the prosecutions of Trump are abusive. I’ll tell you what, though, if the left were running some kind of psy ops campaign to goad the right into setting itself on fire, I’m not sure what they would be doing differently.

  63. And it only cost 150 billion dollars odd with two strikes and some missiles in reserve trump managed to keep putin mostly at bay funny hos that worked

  65. They want to humiliate the law abiding the christians and empower the rioters the terrorists

  66. Cornhead – I’m mostly with you on Vivek. He’s the ONLY one talking about the Jan 6 prisoners, the WEF activities going on, and the only one who’s talking about actually cutting government. He’s hitting all of the right notes.

    And the fact that he’s changed his mind on some things – this doesn’t bother me so much because that’s exactly what Trump did before he became president.

    I really don’t understand the angst over the man. Listen to what the man says, and keep your emotions in check. Just like we did with Trump.

  68. I Callahan (and Cornhead), I’m with Rufus on this. It’s nebulous to say I’m going to cut government spending without outlining a specific plan. Most politicians avoid the specifics like the plague, and I tend to put Vivek in this camp more than DeSantis. Am I wrong?

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